Washington Post, July 2, 2019
Outside the Beltway
THE BUSING DEBATE: Kamala Harris’s broadside against Joe Biden’s record on busing during last week’s Democratic presidential debate has done more than just re-energize the California senator’s presidential campaign.
Experts who study the country's school system say Harris renewed attention on an issue still roiling America's public schools in a way that hasn't been seen in decades. And the 2020 presidential candidates are divided about how they feel about the continuing practice of trying to integrate the education system by moving diverse kids from one part of town to another to get an education.
Harris's confrontation of Biden during the second Democratic debate seems to have sparked a surge in her poll numbers: According to a CNN poll released last night, Biden fell 10 points among primary voters since the last survey was taken in May, while Harris gained enough post-debate traction to rank second in the field, followed by Elizabeth Warren. Significantly, Biden's support is falling with black voters: in April and May, per CNN, his support with African Americans was 49 percent and has now fallen to 36 percent; while Harris has seen a rise with the demographic from 6 to 24 percent.